From day one, water scarcity posed a significant challenge to the inhabitants of Rishon LeZion. The Ayun Kara spring was swampy, and obtaining water from neighbouring villages was prohibitively expensive. Transportation of water from Mikveh Israel required security measures. Following unsuccessful attempts to dig a well, the cash-strapped settlers turned to Yosef Feinberg for aid. As we know, Baron Rothschild subsequently granted funds for the settlement's development and the construction of a well.
Drilling through rock required a specially crafted steel nozzle by Yitzhak Leib Toporovsky, the settlement's blacksmith. After six strenuous months of digging, on February 23, 1883, at a depth of 48 meters, a triumphant cry echoed - "We've found water!". This momentous discovery is immortalized in the city's coat of arms. A steam pump imported from Paris brought the precious water to the surface, breathing life into gardens, baths, the water tower, the town, and the winery. In use until 1977, this well is named in honour of Joseph Feinberg, whose complicated journey we've already discussed.
Let's return to Feinberg's daughter, Dora, born a year before his demise. Following Dora's birth, her widowed mother, Bertha Feinberg, relocated from Jaffa to Cairo. Dora returned to Jerusalem in 1923 and later married Aaron Bloch. They settled in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where they raised their three sons.
On June 27, 1976, Dora and her youngest son, Ilan, travelled to Paris to visit relatives before proceeding to New York for her grandson Daniel's wedding. However, their plane, carrying 260 passengers and crew members, was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists and rerouted to Uganda. In Entebbe, the terrorists freed non-Jewish passengers but held 83 Jewish passengers hostage in the airport building for a week.
One evening, Dora choked during a meal and was rushed to the hospital. While she was hospitalized, Israeli special forces executed a daring rescue operation, freeing all the hostages. All except Dora returned home; the process cost the life of its commander, Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Dora remained in the hospital where Ugandan dictator Idi Amin ordered her execution. Her remains were discovered in 1979, marking the tragic end of her life at 73.
This journey offers a distinct and unparalleled experience, deviating from the customary city tour by transforming your mobile phone into your guide. As one acclimates to a tour guide's distinctive style, rhythm, and routes, you will also adapt to this unique self-guided experience. Here, you are a participant and the storyteller, navigating and setting your own tempo based on your personal style.
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with this novel approach, and soon you'll find yourself immersed in a narrative rich with the complexities of real people's lives, their moments of joy and despair. As you journey, urban legends rise from the forgotten corners of history, imbuing hope and offering an understanding of where everything started. This isn't just a tour; it's an opportunity to animate the city with your own pace, style, and voice.
Don't be afraid to get lost in new places!
